Barrette

ABSTRACT

A barrette which comprises a pair of hingedly connected outer and inner body members, one of which is provided with means for grippingly, nonslidably engaging the hair of a wearer, and the other is provided with lift means, including means for manually retracting and extending the lift means relatively to the body member to permit unhindered insertion of the body member in the hair of the user and firm clamping of the hair between the body members when the lift means is extended relatively to the body member in which it is mounted.

o United States Patent 13,590330 [72] Inventor Evelyn J. Hannum 2,473,115 6/1949 Vaughn 132/41 3880 S. Hillerest St., Denver, Colo. 80237 2,748,441 6/1956 Smith 24/263 SW I p 39622 Primary Examiner-Louis G, Mancene F'led May 1970 Assistant Examiner-Gregory El McNeil! [45] Pmemed July Attorney-Bertha L. MacGregor {54] BARRETTE l3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 132/48 R, ABSTRACT; A banana which Comprises a pair f hihgediy 24/248 HC connected outer and inner body members, one of which is [5!] Int. Cl A45d 8/24 provided with means f grippihgiy, hohshdably engaging the Field sarch 32/48 hair of a wearer, and the other is provided with lift means, in-

47,40, I37, 9, 37, 46; 128/337, 321, 325; 24/2 eluding means for manually retracting and extending the lift 248 252 253 means relatively to the body member to permit unhindered in- 1 Reerences Cited sertion of the body member in the hair of the user and firm clamping of the hair between the body members when the lift UNITED STATES PATENTS means is extended relatively to the body member in which it is 649,848 5/1900 Koenig 132/48 R mounted.

PATENTEUJUL sis?! 3,590,830

mvsmon. EVELYN J. HANNUM M WW ATTORNEY BARRETTIE This invention relates to barrettes designed to hold hair in desired predetermined arrangement on the heads of wearers.

The main object of the invention is to provide means in the barrette to prevent slipping of the device on the hair and to ensure firm engagement with the hair in its selected position. The objects of the invention are attained by means in the barrettes which are retractible for the purpose of inserting one of the barrette body members into the hair without hindrance and manually movable into hair-clamping position preparatory to latching the barrette body members together.

Barrettes embodying my invention comprise two body members hinged together at one end, curved longitudinally, and generally parallel to each other. The body member which is exposed when in use by a wearer will be referred to herein as the outer member, and the one which is passed through the hair near the scalp in use will be referred to herein as the inner member.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational side view of a barrette embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale, in the plane of the line 3-3 of FIG. I.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, in the plane ofthe line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, ofa modification of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing another modifica tion of the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings, 10 designates the outer member of the barrette embodying my invention, and II is the inner member connected by hinge I2 to the outer member 10. The members 10 and II are slightly curved longitudinally and generally parallel to each other. The outer member 10 has a latching member 13 depending from its inner surface near the end opposite the hinged end, and another latching element 14 near the hinged end. The element 14 may be omitted. The outer member 10 is provided with means for engaging the hair of a wearer, said means being high-friction-type material or a foam rubber cushion 15 on that surface facing the inner member II, for nonslidably contacting the hair.

The inner member 11 comprises a pair of parallel sides 16 joined together at their ends 17, 18, forming a recess 19 for reception of a lift member 20. The lift member 20 may be made of plastic or other suitable material such as a thin piece of spring metal provided with upturned ends, which serve as latching means, the end 21 cooperating with the latching element l3, and the end 22 cooperating with the element 14 when the barrette bodies 10 and II are in the closed position shown in the drawing. The latching means may vary in form. The lift member 20 is provided on its longitudinal side edges with spaced apart teeth 23 which extend sidewise into inclined slots 24 in the sidewalls 16 of the inner member 11. The slots 24 are parallel to each other and spaced to receive the teeth 23 of the lift member and to permit of the teeth and lift member relatively to the sidewalls 16 for the purpose of alternately retracting and extending the lift member in the inner member 11.

The lift member as shown in the drawing is provided with a foam rubber cushion 25 on the surface facing the cushion I5 of the outer member 10, but friction-type material which prevents slippage may be substituted for the cushioning means shown. When the lift member 20 is in its lowermost position, with the teeth 23 in the bottom of the slots 24 the cushion 25 is retracted, with its exposed surface slightly below the upper surfaces of the sides 16 of the member I1. When thus retracted by the user, by pressing downwardly on the upturned end 21, the member 11 slides easily through the hair, without hindrance by the cushion 25 or frictionexerting material. When the barrette is in selected position, the user draws the lift slightly upwardly and toward the end 17 ofthe member 11, thus raising the lift 20 and causing the teeth 23 to slide in upwardly inclined direction as shown in FIG. 4, to thereby raise the hair engaging means 25 and the overlying hair to be firmly clamped between the means 25 and 15 when the outer member 10 is moved into closed position and the latching members engage the lift ends. The manipulation of the lift 20 is facilitated by recesses 245, 27 in the body II which make the end 21 easily accessible to the user.

In the modification shown in FIG. 5, the inner member 30 is provided with teeth 31 and the lift 32 has slots 33 for reception of the teeth 31, permitting the lift 32 to be raised relatively to the inner member 30 in the manner heretofore described with respect to the lift 20.

In the modification shown in FIG. 6, the slots and teeth heretofore described for enabling the user to raise and lower the lift member have been eliminated. In place of the slots and teeth, the inner member 40 has pivotally connected thereto at 41 two or more links 42, the other ends of the links being pivotally connected at 43 to the lift 44. When the user grasps the left end of the lift and manually draws the lift toward the open end of the barrette, the links move about the pivotal connections 4t and raise the lift and attached hair engaging means so that the facing surfaces of the material 15 and 25 firmly hold the hair between them and the barrette is maintained in its intended selected position.

lclaim:

I. A barrette for firmly clamping the hair of a user comprismg a. an outer and an inner body member hingedly connected together at one end,

b. means attached to the outer member for nonslidably engaging the hair of a wearer,

c. a lift member movably mounted in the inner member,

d. means for manually retracting or extending the lift member relatively to the inner body member, and

e. means for latching the body members together in hair clamping engagement when the lift member is in its extended position.

2. The barrette defined by claim I, in which the means for manually retracting or extending the lift member relatively to the inner body member comprises laterally extending teeth on thc life member and parallel slots in the inner body member extending in inclined directions for reception of the teeth.

3. The barrette defined by claim I, in which the lift member is provided with an upturned end which serves as a handle for manipulating the lift member into extended or retracted posi tions relatively to the inner body member.

'4. The barrette defined by claim I, in which the lift member is made of flexible material and is provided with upturned ends, and in which the outer body member is provided with latching means which cooperate with the upturned ends of the lift member to latch the body members into hair clamping engagement and to retain the lift member in extended position.

5. The barrette defined by claim 1, in which the means for nonslidably engaging the hair of a wearer are attached to the lift member to face the hair-engaging means on the outer member.

6. The barrette defined by claim 1, in which the means for manually retracting or extending the lift member relatively to the inner body member comprises laterally extending teeth on the inner body member and parallel slots in the lift member extending in inclined directions for reception of the teeth.

7. The barrette defined by claim I, in which the means for manually retracting or extending the lift member relatively to the inner body member comprises a plurality of parallel links pivotally connected at one of their ends to the inner body member and at the other of their ends to the lift member.

3. The barrette defined by claim I, in which the means for latching the body members together comprise a spring metal fastener attached to the outer body member and a flexible catch member on the life engaging the fastener when the lift member is in its extended position.

engaging the hair ofthe wearer is a friction-type material.

H2. The barrette defined by claim 5, in which the means attached to the lift member for engaging the hair ofa wearer is a foam rubber cushion.

H3. The barrette defined by claim 5, in which the means attached to the lift member for engaging the hair of a wearer is friction-type material. 

1. A barrette for firmly clamping the hair of a user comprising a. an outer and an inner body member hingedly connected together at one end, b. means attached to the outer member for nonslidably engaging the hair of a wearer, c. a lift member movably mounted in the inner member, d. means for manually retracting or extending the lift member relatively to the inner body member, and e. means for latching the body members together in hair clamping engagement when the lift member is in its extended position.
 2. The barrette defined by claim 1, in which the means for manually retracting or extending the lift member relatively to the inner body member comprises laterally extending teeth on the life member and parallel slots in the inner body member extending in inclined directions for reception of the teeth.
 3. The barrette defined by claim 1, in which the lift member is provided with an upturned end which serves as a handle for manipulating the lift member into extended or retracted positions relatively to the inner body member.
 4. The barrette defined by claim 1, in which the lift member is made of flexible material and is provided with upturned ends, and in which the outer body member is provided with latching means which cooperate with the upturned ends of the lift member to latch the body members into hair clamping engagement and to retain the lift member in extended position.
 5. The barrette defined by claim 1, in which the means for Nonslidably engaging the hair of a wearer are attached to the lift member to face the hair-engaging means on the outer member.
 6. The barrette defined by claim 1, in which the means for manually retracting or extending the lift member relatively to the inner body member comprises laterally extending teeth on the inner body member and parallel slots in the lift member extending in inclined directions for reception of the teeth.
 7. The barrette defined by claim 1, in which the means for manually retracting or extending the lift member relatively to the inner body member comprises a plurality of parallel links pivotally connected at one of their ends to the inner body member and at the other of their ends to the lift member.
 8. The barrette defined by claim 1, in which the means for latching the body members together comprise a spring metal fastener attached to the outer body member and a flexible catch member on the life engaging the fastener when the lift member is in its extended position.
 9. The barrette defined by claim 1, in which the means for latching the body members together comprise a pair of spaced apart spring metal fasteners attached to the outer body member and a flexible catch member at each end of the lift engaging the fasteners when the lift member is in its extended position.
 10. The barrette defined by claim 1, in which the means for engaging the hair of a wearer is a foam rubber cushion.
 11. The barrette defined by claim 1, in which the means for engaging the hair of the wearer is a friction-type material.
 12. The barrette defined by claim 5, in which the means attached to the lift member for engaging the hair of a wearer is a foam rubber cushion.
 13. The barrette defined by claim 5, in which the means attached to the lift member for engaging the hair of a wearer is friction-type material. 